SafariBookings has received complaints from clients about Madukha Tours and Safaris .

Reviews

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 31-40 of 46 Reviews
Ilaria   –  
Italy IT
Visited: August 2024 Reviewed: Sep 6, 2024

Email Ilaria  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Ilaria and not that of SafariBookings.
masai mara lake nakuru
1/5

Be careful of this company. They make you believe you’re booking a lodge like Sofa Lodge and Lake Nakuru, but then they come up with excuses and put you in tent camps at different places. They pull tricks like overbooking or sometimes don’t say anything at all. We tried writing to get our money back for the difference, but they go silent after 5 or 6 days, being vague. Don't book with them; they’ll ruin your safari.

(automatic translation from Italian)

Priya   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: September 2024 Reviewed: Sep 18, 2024

Email Priya  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Exceptional
5/5

Madukha Tours was exceptional. From the point I got in touch to the conclusion of the safari, they were perfection itself. They were organised, efficient and jovial. All the hotels were excellent, service at the hotels was brilliant and the food was terrific. Small details like USB ports in the Land Cruiser, and arm rests being adjusted were brilliant. Every need was catered for and we didn’t have to ask. Our flight was cancelled due to NBO being ok strike and Madukha were willing to start the safari a day later, so we could do the entire trip. Each lodge we stayed at was different to the one prior. The people of Kenya are wonderful. Not enough can be said for our safari guide, John. He was knowledgable, polite and great fun. He kept us entertained throughout and was arguably the best animal spotter - the fact that we saw the big 5 on multiple occasions and host of other animals was a bonus. The hot air balloon ride with Hot Air Balloons is a must. It gives a view that is not possible if driving. A special shout out to the loos en route to each park! I have not seen cleaner loos. All in all, an incredible trip. Thank you Madukha, William, John and Kenya.

PJ   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: September 2024 Reviewed: Sep 29, 2024

Email PJ  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Great rates & friendly service
5/5

You will be in safe hands with Madukha Tours. From the moment we contacted them, they were responsive to requests via email & offered us the same safari as other groups for a significantly cheaper price. Upgrading to private & a land cruiser was a no brainer & made our experience extra special. As people who are used to life in the UK, we did find the lack of "official" confirmation of e.g. payment a little strange, but once we arrived in Kenya we understood that this is the way things work there!

Our driver was incredibly friendly (Paul) and knew how to find all the animals, including catering to our perhaps unusually high interest in birds and antelopes. We saw leopards, cheetahs, lions, serval, giraffe, elephants, rhino, buffalo, hippo, 15 species of antelope (including the delightful dik-dik) and 100+ species of bird. Paul was there for us the whole time & we always felt safe with him. We did have a copy of "The Safari Companion", which together with my partner having a PhD in biology provided me/us with a particularly detailed account of the animals we were seeing & why they were behaving in certain ways. I suspect if you want that experience, you may want to request a specially trained guide who has a bronze or above certification from KSPGA.

The lodges booked for us by Madukha were all great & above our expectations.

We were very pleased we went with Madukha and not others!

GU   –  
China CN
Visited: October 2024 Reviewed: Oct 5, 2024

Email GU  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of GU and not that of SafariBookings.
They are thief!!! We have been victims of a scam during our trip to Kenya. Do not book with them!
1/5

We have been victims of a scam during our trip to Kenya, and we need urgent assistance.

Our group of seven people from China arrived in Kenya on October 1st. Prior to our arrival, we booked a local tour with a company called Madukha through Safari.com. Upon our arrival, we paid the tour operator in full, a total of $12,090, as agreed.

However, during our stay in Amboseli and Nakuru, we discovered that the tour operator had not paid for our accommodation or park fees. They claimed it was due to a bank transfer issue that prevented them from making the payments. To continue our trip, we were forced to pay all the expenses ourselves.

Currently, we are in Maasai Mara and facing a similar issue. Although we have paid for the hotel, the park entry fees have not been covered by the tour operator, leaving us unable to enter the park and access our accommodation. We are now stranded with no place to go. We request immediate assistance to resolve this matter and hold the responsible party accountable.

(images removed for privacy reasons)

CHEN   –  
China CN
Visited: October 2024 Reviewed: Oct 5, 2024

Email CHEN  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of CHEN and not that of SafariBookings.
Never choose this travel agency. They took our money and disappeared!!!
1/5

Issues with the travel agency:

1. For a total of 6 nights of hotel stays and entrance tickets, there was no prepaid reservation. We only found out when we arrived at the hotel. The travel agency said that we should pay the expenses first and they would refund us later, but now we have lost contact with them.

2. The travel agency unilaterally changed the agreed hotel in the travel contract without prior notice. They changed the hotel in Nakuru to an alternative hotel that is more than half cheaper in price but did not refund the price difference.

3. The travel agency has deceived us in multiple ways and delayed for a long time, causing a great waste of our itinerary. We have already lost one day of the Masai Mara itinerary.

Ray   –  
China CN
Visited: September 2024 Reviewed: Oct 5, 2024

Email Ray  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Ray and not that of SafariBookings.
the worst travel experience of my life.
1/5

Please be cautious of this company that scammed us; this has been the worst travel experience of my life.

1. We paid the full amount, but the 6 nights of hotel accommodations and park entry fees included in the trip were never paid. We only discovered this upon arriving at the hotels. The travel agency asked us to cover the costs upfront, promising to refund us later, but they have since completely disappeared.
2. The agency unilaterally changed the hotels specified in the contract without prior notice. They replaced the hotel in Nakuru with a substitute that costs more than double, and they did not refund the price difference.
3. The agency has repeatedly deceived us through various means and delayed our plans, which has severely impacted our itinerary. We have lost an entire day in Maasai Mara.

This experience has been a total scam and a nightmare, so I urge everyone to be very careful with this company.

Leo   –  
China CN
Visited: October 2024 Reviewed: Oct 5, 2024

Email Leo  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Leo and not that of SafariBookings.
A journey filled with wits and courage, yet also extremely exhausting
1/5

The travel agency is really outrageous! For the hotels and tickets we booked for a total of six nights, they didn't make the payment and reservation. We only found out when we arrived at the hotel. They even asked us to pay in advance and then promised to refund us. But now, they have lost contact! Moreover, they arbitrarily changed the agreed hotel in the travel contract without notifying us in advance at all! They replaced the hotel in Nakuru with a substitute hotel that is more than twice as cheap, but they didn't refund the price difference either! They have deceived us by various means many times and delayed time, making our itinerary a total mess. They have greatly wasted our time and caused us to lose one day's itinerary in Masai Mara. What on earth is this?

Alice   –  
China CN
Visited: October 2024 Reviewed: Oct 5, 2024

Email Alice  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Alice and not that of SafariBookings.
They’re just a three-person operation and can’t even pay the driver’s fees. It's infuriating!
1/5

The travel agency demanded full payment two weeks before our departure, despite the fact that we had already paid a deposit months earlier. Out of caution and naïve trust, we communicated and retained a small portion of the final payment. However, after arriving in Kenya, the owner, William, came to collect the remaining balance and then disappeared. We later discovered that the subsequent six nights of hotels and park entrance fees had not been paid. They repeatedly deceived us, exploiting our trust and isolating us in a foreign country, forcing us to continuously cover expensive costs. As a result, we have not only lost time but are also facing potential losses exceeding $20,000.

Mining   –  
China CN
Visited: October 2024 Reviewed: Oct 5, 2024

Email Mining  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Mining and not that of SafariBookings.
This travel angency ruined our trip totally, don't choose it.
1/5

This is a very terrible travel agency
Took all our money, but did not perform the contract to pay for our hotel and park fees included in the contract, we had to pay extra by ourselves.
And we spend extra time to communicate with the travel agency hoping the problem can be solved, but now they can't get in touch. So we have to call the police to defend our rights.
It wastes us almost $6,000 per person and two days of Safari, ruining our trip totally. Don't choose it.
Plus, this company only has three full-time employees.Our guide also has not received his oil and labor fees, and will no longer cooperate with the travel agency in the future.

Naoko   –  
Japan JP
Visited: September 2024 Reviewed: Oct 12, 2024

Email Naoko  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Naoko and not that of SafariBookings.
Great guide, worst agency
1/5

I do not recommend this agency at all.

All the bookings are fine, but they hadn’t pay petrol fee to our guide in advance , so we had to stay at petrol station twice for long time to wait them to send money to our guide.
Eventually they did not send him money so he had to pay out of his pocket. Which is INSANE.
As you know, petrol fee in Kenya is bloody expensive.

Anyway, our guide was super nice guy. He said that our tour will be the last job with this agency. Bless him.

Disclaimer

  • All corporate and/or tour info is provided by Madukha Tours and Safaris , not SafariBookings
  • The tours offered by Madukha Tours and Safaris are subject to their terms & conditions